Brentwood coach Dave Mislan knows all too well how critical it is for a team to finish a season strong.

A year ago, his Spartans severely stumbled down the stretch, dropping nine of their final 10 games en route to a less-than-spectacular 6-16 record.

Mislan, though, somehow managed to see a bright light amidst the fog, and he and his players carried that positive attitude into this season.

"I'll be honest, I had high expectations," said Mislan, in his fifth season. "We had a lot of experienced seniors coming back and they were dedicated to exiting in a good way."

And now, with the final few games of the regular season upon them, the Spartans have completely turned the tables on last year's struggles and have the look of a team hitting its stride.

Instead of sitting on the outside looking in again, the Spartans have positioned themselves in prime contention for a playoff berth. Winners of six of their past nine games, the Spartans (8-8 overall, 6-5 in Class AA Section 3) are battling Carlynton, Seton-LaSalle and Bishop Canevin for the final two postseason spots in a section headed by WPIAL title contenders North Catholic and South Fayette.

"We've clinched nothing, but we've put ourselves in a good position for the home stretch," Mislan said.

A gritty senior class is a major reason why the Spartans are where they are, according to Mislan. The Spartans boast a group of nine seniors, seven of whom are in the main rotation.

"More than anything, it's the senior leadership," Mislan said. "What you put in, you're able to take out. These seniors have invested a lot into this program. It means a lot to them to finish strong. I think we're seeing the results now."

The play of senior Dave Sexauer has played a big part in the positive results. A 5-foot-11 shooting guard, Sexauer averages a team-best 19 points per game.

Included in those numbers are a 30-point effort against Carrick in the season opener and 39-point outburst against Fort Cherry three games later. Mislan said Sexauer has the versatility to play just about any position and applauded the desire and passion he brings to the floor.

"He puts so much into his game and he cares so much. Every possession means something to him," Mislan said. "He creates open shots for other guys and he can score from anywhere on the court."

While Sexauer's numbers regularly find their way into the box score, the contributions of fellow senior Josh Gonzalez typically fly under the radar.

"The guy who goes unnoticed is Josh Gonzalez. He's our 5-foot-11 four-man," Mislan said, laughing. "He posts people up. He's very crafty. His mind on the floor is second to none."

The Spartans returned three starters. Along with Sexauer, senior forward Danny Lucas and senior center Adam Obringer also started a season ago. This season's starting five is rounded out by senior point guard Corey Henning.

Off the bench, Mislan chooses from a group that includes seniors Ron Henning and Deng Deng, and juniors Braden Pavlik and Cory Bauer.

Statistically, the Spartans aren't particularly strong in any one category, but Mislan said his players excel at doing the basics.

"The strength of this team is probably the cohesiveness," Mislan said. "They're playing well together. We're doing a lot of the fundamental things it takes to win games."

The most gratifying win came against highly talented South Fayette last week, a 54-49 triumph that served as a gigantic confidence booster.

"You can't even measure it," Mislan said. "To hold a group like that down like we did really says a lot. It's one thing to listen to the scouting report, but another to put it into play. They went out and showed they can play with the best."

Because of key victories such as that, the Spartans have earned an opportunity to close this season on a much more harmonious note than last.

"We've put ourselves in a good spot," Mislan said. "Now we have to finish it."

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